Plus, some advice: “One last word to the lobbyists (Chevron, Conoco Phillips and Marathon Oil, etc) who apparently received email from Murkowski’s chief of staff, alerting them an hour early to her imminent campaign. We live in a New Media Age where your behavior is being watched as never before. And, as you know, you have already been outed in this instance. Karen Knutson, Murkowski’s chief of staff, showed herself to be a trigger-happy dolt by sending that premature email. One of you probably leaked it. Signing on for the Murkowski campaign is now bad news for your company. Stay away.”

I wonder if these companies are hearing from customers or shareholders about this?

ANOTHER UPDATE: Jonah Goldberg: “On what grounds should she run as independent? Because she really likes being a senator? Because she’s bummed the seat-for-life her father gave her turned out to be more temporary? I think independent campaigns or party switches are forgivable or understandable on some grand issue of principle. Joe Lieberman’s steadfast support for the war comes to mind. But reading this, it sounds like Murkowski thinks she should run because the people who like her have told her what she wants to hear. How is she anything more than Arlen Specter in a dress?”

MORE: A reader emails: “She’s worse: Specter was never a spoiler. At least he had the ‘dignity’ to switch parties, not run as an indie. And he did it BEFORE he lost his primary, not after. It’s hard to be a bigger creep than Arlen Specter, but I’ll be damned if she hasn’t done it.”

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